Current forensic quality biometric scanners use conventional optics technology consisting of lenses, mirrors, prisms, and optical sensors. Images of objects that are scanned with these systems can have excellent image quality. The three-dimensional nature of the optical path in such forensic quality biometric scanners, however, results in relatively large, heavy systems. Further, the three-dimensional nature of the optical path often requires a significant amount of illumination of the object being scanned, resulting in such systems using a large amount of power.